Both writers are longtime fans of their respective islands who love “going local” at out-of-the-way inns, trails, markets and food stands, without disdaining the experiences that higher-end hotels, popular beach parks and renowned restaurants can offer. The authors bring agritourism and ancient Hawaiian sites into focus, in a socially responsible way, without overlooking traditional tourist pursuits such as surfing and shopping (usually at stores with local owners and/or local products).

The well-designed guidebooks, which include black-and-white photos and basic maps, are part of a new series produced by The Countryman Press. You can tell the guides are hot off the press in publishing terms: The Maui book (which includes Molokai and Lanai), for example, takes note of Maui’s recent crackdown on unlicensed vacation rentals and the closure of Molokai Ranch.

Both guides reflect the growing trend of spelling Hawaiian place names with the proper diacritical marks — the ‘okina (looks like a single open quotation mark), which signifies a glottal stop, and the kahakō, a macron indicating a long vowel. Not only will the marks help first-timers with pronunciation, they add to the books’ ethos of authenticity (though I have to share an anecdote Carol related in an e-mail: “One old Hawaiian on Molokai told me, ‘We don’t need to use those marks. We know how to pronounce things.’ “) As is usual with first editions, you’ll find a typo here or there, but overall little to take issue with and much to take with you on your next trip.

Talk story tonight: Those lucky enough to be in San Francisco tonight (Feb. 12) can enjoy a slide show of tantalizing photos of the Garden and Valley isles, and discussion by the authors, including “why I am so smitten with Kauai,” according to Michele, and tips on “shave ice or surfing spots, slack key guitar and ancient Hawaiian sites,” according to Carol. The free event starts at 7 p.m. at Get Lost Travel Books, 1825 Market St.

Accentuate the positive: The guidebooks and the Hawaiian newspapers are inspiring Hawaii Insider to consider using diacritical marks in place names, although her blog software doesn’t like their necessary HTML coding in headlines or the first few sentences of blog entries — auē! Lower in the text, however, the coding is not a problem.

My compromise so far generally has been to follow Associated Press’ style in not using diacritical marks in place names (although I often include the Hawaiian spellings and their meanings elsewhere in my postings) or in adopted words such as luau (in Hawaiian, lū‘au) and ukulele (‘ukulele.) At the same time, I try to reflect individuals’ and organizations’ preferences in their spelling choices (especially since I can avoid putting those in headlines and the first few sentences).

But I’m curious to know what readers think, so feel free to e-mail me or comment below. If you’re curious whether or not a Hawaiian word has diacritical marks, you can consult the wonderful online Ulukau dictionaries. I do nearly every day!